Self Development starts with Self Awareness

Difference between Meditation and Hypnosis

Meditation and Hypnosis are two widely misunderstood terms. Meditation is similar but not same as hypnosis. Let’s look at both of them individually.

Meditation is a process and journey to mindfulness. In simple terms it is a practice that allows the practitioner to have better control over his / her thoughts and consciously chose them to some extent. This allows the practitioner to live in the present moment without drifting to the past or future. There have been many forms and variations of meditations for eg. Meditating on breath, mantra, object, sound, pattern etc. The ultimate aim of any of the above ways is to train the mind to clear the chatter and bring its focus to the present moment by practising to focus. Meditation takes a practitioner to a state of mind where the gates to his subconscious mind open and he goes in the state of slight to deep trans.

Hypnosis is however, a practice of tapping into the subconscious mind using the neurological response and interventions. Meditation indeed serves as the platform for Hypnosis. Following are some of the common variations of hypnosis practised.

Hypnotherapy

Mentalism and Illusionism (Street hypnosis)

Conversational hypnosis

Subliminal messaging

Brainwaves

Hypnotherapy is the therapeutic use of hypnosis where meditation becomes the platform for taking the subject to the state of trans. The hypnotic induction of the subject is done through a meditation technique called “progressive muscle relaxation” that relaxes the physical body and mind to allow it enter the trans. Trans being the state of mind where the subject is highly suggestible and messages are directly delivered to his subconscious mind that forms the beliefs and behaviours. This has also been used in medical sciences to induce Hypnotic Anaesthesia to perform dental surgeries etc.

Mentalism and Illusionism are the form of street hypnosis where the neurological response of the subject helps in taking him to trans by inducing the minor shock to the neuro system which, opens the gate of the subconscious mind for the moment to induce the state of trans. This method is generally used for the purpose of entertainment and fun to demonstrate the subject to be control and make him do strange things.

Conversational hypnosis is the art of using hypnotic suggestions in the conversation that are persuasive in nature and mind reads them as commands unconsciously. This method is largely used by the advertisers, teachers, politicians and religious gurus, salesmen etc. by igniting the spark of emotion or imagination to persuade the subject for the desired behaviour.

Subliminal messaging and Brainwaves are the techniques of accessing the subconscious mind at the frequency of trans. The Sound frequencies matching the Alpha and Theta level of mind carry the desired affirmations or messages to be directly absorbed by the subconscious mind. However, these methods have shown positive results but there has been no proven validation on the results.

Hypnosis in a way can also be seen as an Active Meditation and Meditation on Mantras or affirmations is nothing but a form of Self-Hypnosis. Hence both meditation and Hypnosis are similar but yet not same.